A friend informed me about a phone call recently he had. He said that he was trying to book an activity at the place had been staying during his holiday in the UK. The person on the other side ended the call asking, “Are you an immigrant?”

Both of us were not sure as to why he asked this question from us. What was the purpose? Except we were very sure as to why he was asked this. And this reason for the same is in parts of the country, it does matter to the people whether you are an immigrant or not. It is not the concern that my friend was booking the ticket for the holiday activity and planned to make the payment for it in a timely fashion. Would he have been refused the activity if he’d said yes? What if he would have said he was a tourist or this is none of your bloody business mates?

In the thick of the World Cup, this happens. The loss in the semi-final brought England’s team incredible journey to an end. But, at the same time a strange thing is happening all around me as the football fever is gripping more and more people: the notion of home was changing. And this time, all for the good.

I still remember the Brexit referendum morning, where I was told numbers of times that for me it is the time to “go home”. Even, someone told me that it was the time to bag pack and go back to “brown land”. Go home.

I didn’t shy away when I saw people wearing the flag of St George walking towards me.

It is complicated and precarious it feels awkward to be born in England with a culture of a different place.